Outdoor Skills & Leadership: Empowering Kids Through Nature

Outdoor experiences provide students with hands-on opportunities to develop essential life skills like teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Girl Scouts have long championed outdoor skills as a foundation for leadership. Through activities like hiking, camping, navigation, and survival challenges, young learners gain resilience and independence.

Teachers can take inspiration from the Girl Scouts' mission by incorporating outdoor learning into their curriculum—no troop required!

Classroom-to-Outdoor Lesson Ideas

Bringing outdoor education into your lessons doesn’t require a major field trip—simple, structured activities can have a big impact. Here are some engaging ways to encourage leadership and outdoor skills in your students:

Navigation Challenges with the Magnetic Liquid Compass Kit

Help students develop spatial awareness and problem-solving skills through hands-on navigation exercises.

Activity: Set up an orienteering course on school grounds or in a nearby park.

Lesson Tie-In: Teach cardinal directions, map reading, and basic compass use before heading outdoors for a real-world navigation challenge.

Leadership Focus: Assign different students as team leaders, responsible for guiding their groups through checkpoints.

STEM-Based Outdoor Survival Skills

Outdoor survival isn’t just about adventure—it’s a great way to integrate STEM concepts into learning.

Activity: Challenge students to design and build a simple shelter using natural materials or classroom-provided tools.

Lesson Tie-In: Discuss physics concepts like structure stability and weather resistance, incorporating discussions about engineering and problem-solving.

Leadership Focus: Students take on different roles, from planners to builders, reinforcing teamwork and delegation skills.

Environmental Exploration Inspired by Project Learning Tree

Project Learning Tree (PLT) provides educators with tools to engage students in outdoor learning through hands-on activities focused on sustainability and conservation (PLT, 2024). Here is an idea inspired by their educational tools.

Activity: Conduct a biodiversity scavenger hunt, identifying plants, animals, and natural features around the schoolyard.

Lesson Tie-In: Discuss ecosystems, conservation, and the role of humans in protecting nature.

Leadership Focus: Assign student leaders to track findings and present their observations to the class.

Encouraging Confidence and Growth Outdoors

Outdoor education allows students to take risks, make decisions, and gain a sense of accomplishment—which are key components of leadership development. Whether it’s learning to use a compass, working as a team to solve a problem, or exploring nature with curiosity, these experiences translate into valuable life skills.

This National Girl Scout Day, teachers can inspire the next generation of leaders by stepping outside and letting nature be the classroom. Whether through navigation challenges, survival skills, or environmental discovery, these activities will spark confidence, teamwork, and a love for learning in every student.

Looking for more tools to support outdoor learning? Check out Wild Life Outdoor Adventures Kits and other adventure-ready resources to help bring hands-on leadership development into your classroom!